Kirlana - Freedom from the system
#sailingkirlana www.kirlana.de
Who is on the boat?
Kathrin (41), Tom (54), Kiran (16), Solana (14) Rölker
Catamaran Lagoon 420
How long have you been living on a sailboat while travelling?
Since 2019, 1,5 years in total (twice for 6 months)
What were you doing before you moved aboard?
Living in the system…
Motivation: What inspired you to embark on a sailing adventure?
It was a sabbatical in the beginning and exploring something new but once you are on the move, travelling, it’s hard to settle down again. We wanted to get out of the mainstream system.
We have always been interested in learning new things, getting into other cultures and experiencing another lifestyle. Also, we recognized how school and peer-groups influence and manipulate children and how much pressure the systems puts on them but also on us.
We never felt fully adapted to the system anyway.
When covid came up and everyone went crazy… you couldn’t talk to people anymore, no one was listening to other opinions. That made it even harder to adjust back into the system.
So, we realized this wouldn’t be good for any of us in the long-run and decided to do a second sabbatical on the boat.
This time a bigger one as the kids got bigger, too.
Any unforgettable destinations / moments you have been to or experienced?
I think the most important parts are the people we meet, the friends we make…
Is there a typical day for your family on a sailboat?
Not really. In one way most days are the same but also every day is different.
How do you handle education for your child?
When they were younger we did homeschooling, like maths, reading, things along the way, talking English with people we meet… Since they are teenagers we needed more structure and enrolled in a online school. We also switched from the German system to the British (international GCSE).
What were the biggest challenges you find about this lifestyle?
Even though we made strong friendships, I think giving the kids a social network is the hardest. Apart from schooling and working in the heat on the boat…
Has this lifestyle helped you grow and learn?
Definitely!
How do you connect with others while sailing?
We use Facebook and Noforeignland, mainly, to see where other kid boats are. But also we just talk to other sailors or people on land.
What items would you not go without ?
Solar power system, watermaker, starlink, dinghy, books
What Lies Ahead: Do you have future plans or new destinations in mind?
With the boat we will stay in Europe because we have a German company.
While on our second sabbatical, we decided not to return to standard life. We are not sure at all if we will keep the boat. The teens need more connection with peer-groups and that’s hard while travelling constantly.
We won’t be permanent live-aboards, but boat life will always be part of us, I think.
But Our future is open, nothing set…
Do you have a heartfelt message or piece of wisdom/advice for people looking to embark on similar adventures?
DO IT! But be aware that it will change you!
